Anger Management Techniques&Skills
by MagnoliaKaki
Summary: Anger Management Technique #5 — Communicate Assertively: This anger management skill is about being able to honestly and effectively communicate how you feel and to respond to things without getting angry or hostile about it.


**Hello! First Saiyuki fanfic ever. I was surfing the Net when an advertisement caught my interest. "Anger Management Treatment". An image of Sanzo popped in my head. At first, it was just an angry Sanzo talking to a cheerful Hakkai about his anger management problems but then, when I looked at the list of the technique, I couldn't resist. So, there you go! Sanzo's trying to keep his cool and failing. **

**Disclaimer: **Saiyuki. The Anger Management Techniques.

**Claimer:** The plot.

**Rating:** T+ A bit of violence. Bad language.

Ah, in technique 4, the first part is Sanzo talking in his head... hope it's not confusing...

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**Anger Management Technique #1 — Recognize ****Stress:** _This anger control tool emphasizes the importance of __understanding how stress underlies anger and how to __reduce stress before it turns into anger._

"Reduce stress, eh?" Sanzo muttered under his breath. He had read a supplement on anger management techniques on the newspaper that morning and he wanted to try out one.

After entering the room, the monk looked at Gojyo and Goku. The two stressed him out.

He had to reduce stress.

No Goku and Gojyo, no stress.

No stress, no anger.

Hence, he should just wipe them out.

Sanzo smirked. Now, it was scientifically proven. The right thing to do was to reload the gun and fire.

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**A.M.T. #2 — Develop ****Empathy:** _This anger control skill focuses on the relationship __between empathy and anger management and how one __can reduce his/her anger by learning how to see things __from the perspective of others._

"Sanzo, _please_!" Goku whined. "I'm sick of being threatened! I'm just sayin' I'm hungry! Can't you understand my pain??"

Sanzo huffed. "Well, if you're dead, you don't feel pain. See? I'm just helping you."

Goku groaned.

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**A.M.T. ****#3 — Respond ****Instead of React:** _This anger management technique enables one to __respond rather than automatically react to anger/stress triggers. Human beings have the capacity to choose how to express their anger and therefore can learn new ways to more effectively communicate their needs, feelings or __requests._

"I feel the urge to kill you," Sanzo peacefully stated. "I really want to pull the trigger and aim for your brain."

Gojyo looked at him. There was no sign of the gun. "What's with you, shitty monk? You're out of bullets?"

"Do you want me to shoot you?" He threatened, reaching for his gun.

Gojyo raised his hands and looked away. "I prefer words to action."

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**A.M.T. #4 — Change That ****Conversation With Yourself:** _t__his anger control technique involves learning to __recognize and modify one's inner conversations. __Learning to change that "self-talk" empowers you to deal __with anger more effectively in terms of how strongly you __feel the anger, how long you hold onto your anger, and __how you express your anger._

_Kill him, for Buddha's sake! Look, he's making fun of you!_

_No, wait. Maybe there's a better way to put an end to this…_

_'A better way' my ass! Violence is the best way!_

_…I know that! I was just thinking of a new way to scare the shit out of him!_

_There's no need to! The gun's more than enough! Put a fucking bullet through his brain!_

_Should I really waste bullets on him?_

_Yes! God, Sanzo, pull the trigger already! Erase his existence! Enjoy the taste of his fear! Kill him!_

"What's wrong!" Gojyo laughed at Sanzo. The monk had just tripped over his robe, falling flat on his face. "Too much embarrassed to talk, oh almighty-Sanzo-Houshi-sama?"

"You're dead meat."

Gojyo stopped laughing. "Eh…? Holy shit!"

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**A.M.T. #5 — Communicate ****Assertively:** _This anger management skill is about being able to __honestly and effectively communicate how you feel and to __respond to things without getting angry or hostile about it._

"You know," Sanzo started, lifting the gun so that it was in front of his face. "I should _really_ kill you for once. The only thing you've been doing all this time is lashing out. You're lucky I was ordered to take you with me because otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to make a hole in that perverted head of yours. So, shut up because I'm in a real bad mood right now."

After saying that, the monk returned to what he'd been doing: staring at the landscape with a scowl on his face, leaving Gojyo at a complete loss. Sanzo usually didn't use more than three words to express his hate.

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**A.M.T. #6 — Adjust ****Expectation: **_A__nger is often triggered by a discrepancy between what __we expect and what we get. Learning to ad just those __expectations—sometimes upward and other times __downward—can help us cope with difficult situations or __people or even cope with ourselves._

"Are ya' angry, Sanzo…?" Goku sniffed, peeking at him. He was resting his head on Sanzo's desk. "I didn't mean to…"

"I'm not angry," the monk muttered. "How could I? I didn't expect anything from you from the start. A monkey isn't _that_ intelligent."

"That's mean, Sanzo!"

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**A.M.T. #7 — Forgive, but ****Don't Forget: **_Resentment is a form of anger that does more damage to__t he holder than the offender. Making a decision to "let __go" (while still protecting ourselves) is often a process of __forgiveness—or at least acceptance—and a major step __toward anger control__._

"Next time you pull something like that, _I kill you_!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Goku shouted back. "Walls made of wood in the kitchen!? I'm not the one to blame!"

"Well, you should have known! It's the last time I'm letting you in charge of the kitchen, Goku! _I won't forget!_"

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**A.M.T. #8 — Retreat and ****Think Things Over:** _This anger management tool consists of removing __yourself from the situation and taking a temporary "time-out". _

"Shut the fuck up!" Sanzo finally snapped, reaching for his gun inside the sleeve. Just when he was about to point it at Gojyo, he stopped dead in his tracks. In the meantime, the water sprite had taken cover under the bed. He fearfully waited. But much to his bewilderment, the monk turned away and walked out of the room.

"Eh?" Gojyo glanced at Hakkai. "What's up with him…?"

His friend was as surprised as him. "I don't know…"

But as quickly as he had left, he returned. The door slammed open. Sanzo pointed the gun at Gojyo and said: "okay, I've thought about it. And I've decided you die at any rate," he declared.

As he fired, Gojyo yelped and returned to his shelter.

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**I hope you liked it! Did you notice how I tortured poor little Gojyo? Ah ah.**

**MK**

**Hope you liked it! Apart from torturing poor little Gojyo. **


End file.
